This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application Serial No. 2001-22141, filed Apr. 24, 2001.
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a micro-robot for inspecting and examining the interior of the colon, and particularly, to a micro-robot for colonoscope with motor locomotion which is capable of generating its own driving force and flexibly moving in the colon without causing any damages to the inner wall of the colon, and a system for colonoscope using the micro-robot.
2. Background of the Invention
Nowadays, most of micro-robots for colonoscope have been designed for moving like inchworm, which moves in the colon with one contraction/extension module at the center and two clamping modules at front and rear ends and obtains information (for example, images) of the walls. Here, the inchworm-like motion of the micro-robot does not make it freely and flexibly move in the colon. Particularly, in a problematic colon or a very angulated region the micro-robot does not easily advance and pass. It possibly happens to rupture the walls as a result of the repeated clamping operations that the micro-robot tries to pass the region of the colon. Even though it passes the region, the walls are significantly damaged thereon due to the clamping that is one of main procedures to implement the inchworm-like motion.
In addition to the shortcomings above, the inchworm-type micro-robot have the shortcomings that an endoscopist or a physician performs the inspection or examination of the intestine to obtains a precise information identifying between the damages made by inchworm-type endoscope and the diseases already existing for a long time and thereby a patient suffers from the operation during the time.
The object of the present invention is to provide a micro-robot for colonoscope which is capable of flexibly moving in the colon without causing any damages to the walls by its own locomotion and obtaining the precise information of the walls regardless of the colon loops, and a system for colonoscope using the micro-robot.
The another object of the present invention is to provide a micro-robot for colonoscope which is capable of flexibly and freely moving in the colon without causing any damages to the walls by its own locomotion which is generated by motors, being steered in its advancing direction by linear actuators together with the wheels driven by the locomotion from the motor, and obtaining the precise information of the walls regardless of the colon loops and a system for colonoscope using the micro-robot.
For the object above according to the present invention, there is provided a micro-robot for colonoscope with motor locomotion which comprises an information detecting unit for obtaining information of the interior of the colon; and a driving unit for generating its own locomotion and moving the information detecting unit without causing any damages to the walls of the colon.
For another object above according to the present invention, there is provided a system for colonoscope using the micro-robot, wherein said system comprising: a micro-robot for obtaining information of the interior of the colon; a controlling unit for controlling the micro-robot; and a power supplying unit for supplying power to the microrobot and the controlling unit.